It is often required to electrically interconnect in series a plurality of components or units of a system. For example, in electronic alarm systems, sensor switches and sensor units are often interconnected electrically in series to provide a single loop configuration. The electrical conductor interconnecting the plurality of components or units must be cut, and the insulation stripped, to make electrical connection to each respective device. The connections between the respective devices and conductor are usually accomplished manually, requiring labor and time to prepare each electrical termination and provide the connection between the prepared wire ends and the electrical terminals of the associated device or unit.
Electrical connection techniques are known in which the insulation need not be removed from the end of an insulated conductor in order to make electrical connection to an associated contact. In this type of connector, the contact has a knife edge or barb which pierces or slices through the electrical insulation to make contact with the conductor of the insulated wire. One type of connector is called an insulation displacement connector (IDC) in which a pair of spaced knife edges is provided into which an insulated wire is forced, the knife edges slicing through the insulation to contact the conductor. Terminations are also known for use in lamp cord switches in which one conductor of the two-conductor cord to be connected to the switch is cut and inserted into a receptacle provided in the switch housing, and which include barbs which pierce the insulation to contact the conductor. In these known connection schemes, the wire must still be manually cut and often cut to a critical length in order to properly mate or seat with the associated connector housing.
It would be useful to provide a technique and apparatus for automatically making series connections between an electrical conductor and associated components or units.